The Narcotics Control Board believes that the rooms, known in Australia as shooting galleries, promote trafficking in illegal drugs and could breach international treaties on drug control.

The scheme will reduce the risks from dirty needles

The idea of medically-supervised rooms where drug addicts can use their illegally obtained heroin has been the subject of heated debate in Australia.

Both the prime minister and the Vatican opposed a proposition last year by a group of nuns to run a "shooting gallery".

New strategy

Delegates from the Narcotics Control Board have met Canberra's Health Minister, Mike Moore, who says he is confident the board will accept the trial plans.

He says the Canberra trials are part of a drug strategy and do not breach international agreements.

The gallery would be set up in the city centre to enable addicts to inject with clean needles under supervision.

The state governments of New South Wales and Victoria also hope to set up shooting galleries this year, to help control drug abuse and reduce the number of overdose deaths.

Germany, Switzerland and Spain have also looked at similar programmes.

The United Nations' principal policy-making body on drug control, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, reiterated its opposition to "shooting galleries" at a meeting in March.

Delegates expressed deep concern at the idea and stressed the need to provide effective assistance to drug abusers who have not yet been reached by existing services.